The Ilvermorny Project
by Unexpectedly Writing
Summary: Ben Reilly is ecstatic to start at Ilvermorny School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, he doesn't realize just how life-changing his experiences there will be. Friendship, adventure, love, and danger are in store for this generation of students at Ilvermorny! Rated T for occasional language.
1. Morning Pancakes

_A/N: Hi guys! This is my first attempt at writing something and I hope you guys enjoy it! I plan on regularly adding chapters and giving each of the character more depth and hopefully I'll get better as I go. Please leave reviews as, again, it's my first time writing and I really want to know what you guys think of it and want to know about whatever you guys think I can improve on._

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own the Harry Potter universe. That credit goes to JK Rowling. This is just my interpretation of what Ilvermorny is and it doesn't reflect anybody else's perspectives but my own. Also, I don't own Mickey Mouse because Disney does. I just like pancakes. Please don't sue. Thank you.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 **Morning Pancakes**

It was pointless. There was no point in trying to sleep, because there was no way that Ben Reilly could sleep. He had been on edge for the past two weeks leading up to tomorrow- his 11th birthday and the day of his possible acceptance letter to Ilvermorny school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

In his mother's eyes, it was no question that he would be admitted. Ever since he was a child he had shown signs of magical tendencies. The first time Ben performed magic he had set his accidentally set his aunt's hat on fire when he was 6 because he was upset she had arrived to take his cousin home and end their playdate. Even recently he had somehow duplicated the last slice of pizza he had and wasted the rest of the evening attempting to figure out how he had done it.

Yet despite this, Ben felt these moments might not have been enough. What if he wasn't like his sisters and wasn't good enough to be admitted? He felt sweat start to roll down the side of his temples. _Awesome, Dad still hasn't fixed the AC yet._

He wondered why his dad hadn't fixed the machine yet. Ben had always been used to living in a house that was built for those without magical blood, or "No-Maj's." It wasn't that his family was against the use of magic, it was that his dad insisted on keeping and using some of the No-Maj technology. This was partly what made him endearing to Ben's pure-blood mother: His father wasn't going to completely change the way he has always lived to adjust to being married to a witch. Instead, Ben's home has always been a healthy mixture between a No-Maj lifestyle and a wizarding lifestyle. _Usually he's pretty good with this kind of stuff_ he thought to himself.

The hours stretched and Ben made it a point not to look at the clock. The more he looked at the clock the slower the hands seemed to move, as if the hands of the clock were taunting him. Hours passed until he gradually felt his eyelids grow heavier and heavier until he couldn't possibly keep them open any longer and finally he started dozing into-

"Ben."

"Er…"

"BEN."

"Ugh, what do you want?"

"Happy birthday!" Ben's sister, Jenny, cheered from behind his locked door. "Ma said you need to wake up she made those chocolate Mickey Mouse pancakes for you."

"Is there bacon?"

"Nah, sausage this time."

"Eh…" He buried his face back in the pillow.

"Ben, wake up or mom will come up here instead of me."

This information definitely gave Ben enough energy to get out of bed and change. He knew he was in for it if his Mother were to go out of her way to wake him.

He made his way downstairs and found his family gathered to eat breakfast on the back patio. His mother had always enjoyed leaving the back door and the windows open during the winter time since the rest of the year was always to hot to let the air in. He found his place had already been set with a pile of letters next to his mountain of pancakes. "Thanks mama! Thanks pop!" He quickly gave them hugs and started filing through the letters like a madman, searching through the pile of birthday cards and early Christmas letters for the thick envelope with the big blue seal he's seen his sisters open before.

"Don't you want to read the others letters first?" His mother inquired.

"Why? I've been awake all night for this I can't wait anymore!" Ben tried to open the letter carefully but lost patience and tore the envelope apart, ignoring his dad's chuckling behind him. He read aloud for his family to hear.

 _Dear Mr. Benjamin Michael Reilly, we are pleased to inform you that you have been admitted into the Ilvermorny School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Inside you will find a list of all the necessary materials and textbooks for the upcoming year._

 _The term will begin September 1st, please plan accordingly._

 _We ask that you send your acknowledgement letter no later than August 14._

 _Yours truly,_

 _Scott C. Wheeler_

 _Headmaster of Ilvermorny School for Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Ben could barely contain himself as his family applauded the news. He broke into a manic giggle as he waved the letter around.

"Alright," his mother laughed. "Why don't you finish your breakfast before it gets any colder?"

"Yeah, you act like you're surprised about getting in" his sister Marie teased. Ben didn't even notice her. He was too busy tearing the ear of a Mickey Mouse pancake and rereading the letter placed in front of him.

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 _A/N: I know it's short bear with me! It was the first chapter I wrote and I really had no idea where to begin. The upcoming chapters will have more content!_


	2. Red Bricks

**Chapter 2**

 **Red Bricks**

It had been 8 months since Ben's birthday and the time had finally come. He was to enter Ilvermorny next week and today he'd make the travel with his mom, aunt, and his two cousins to the famous Arcane Square. He'd only been there once 2 years ago to accompany his sister Marie and now it was his turn to travel along the brick-laden roads.

"Let's go already! God and you say girls take forever to get ready!" His cousin Kelsey groaned.

"Shut up," Ben retorted. "For the record, Jenny and Marie always take longer than me. And you woke up like 2 hours before me! Of course you're ready!"

"I'm just saying I hope you don't plan on showering soon because we need to get going!"

"Alright, alright I'm ready, relax." He assured her.

The adults had always joked that Ben had as much McKenna blood as Kelsey, but he felt that was unlikely. _No way I'm as stubborn as her_. Still, as annoying and hard-headed as she may be, he was glad she was the same age as him. It made the whole experience of starting school much less nerve-racking knowing he would at least be with someone he knows.

Ben washed up in the bathroom and pushed his thick brown hair to the side so it wouldn't hang over his eyes, even though it inevitably would fall back in front of his face again anyway. He then made his way downstairs and found his two bickering cousins waiting for him. Kelsey was wearing a long sleeved tee and jeans with her golden hair pulled back in a braid. Her brother Charlie, who was one year her senior, was wearing a _Weird Sisters_ tee and shorts. His sandy blonde hair was cut short for the occasion and he had picked a loose fitting shirt as always. They didn't look much alike as Kelsey was much thinner than he was but the one thing that was distinctively similar about the two were their piercing blue eyes. Ben on the other hand had only one bright blue eye that matched his relatives. The right eye was a green that could've only come from his father.

Charlie stood up quickly. "We all set to go?" He always had been Ben's closest cousin. He was a lot calmer than Ben was and always ended up being the voice of reason whenever he and Ben would get into trouble. For example, Last year the both of them had rigged the toilet with mini "pop-its" that blew up whenever someone had sat on it. However, Charlie and Kelsey's youngest sister Phoebe decided that was the day she'd use the "big girl potty" and after the tantrum that followed, Charlie had spent the better part of the afternoon convincing the adults of their innocence.

His aunt Beth checked her watch. "Yes, I think we have everything."

Kelsey leapt for the floo powder but was stopped short by Mrs. Reilly.

"Hold on, let's have one of the adults do it first so we can be there when you arrive. I'll go first," she decided. "Arcane Square."

His mother erupted into an inferno of green flames.

"Alright, I'm going now. Arcane square!" Kelsey nearly screamed.

And she too was swallowed whole by the green explosion.

"Alright, here we go." Ben stepped in the fireplace and grabbed a handful of powder. "Arcane Square."

He saw nothing but green flashes and felt the earth violently shudder. Suddenly, he was sitting on a street paved by red bricks. He looked up and saw the unassuming street bustling with families that were also doing some last minute school shopping. The shops, as extraordinary as their contents were, looked no different than any other cheap, family-owned business one would find on any other street in this Midwestern town.

"Where is Arcane Square anyway?" Kelsey pondered.

"It's in a No-Maj college town called Athens. The entrance has got a bunch of enchantments so that it is completely unknown by the locals." Ben recalled from the last time he asked the same question.

"So none of the No-Maj's know this is here?"

Mrs. Reilly spoke up. "No they don't. Overall, the MACUSA has done a good job of hiding it but there have been some slip-ups. In the No-Maj world, this town is considered the most haunted college campus in the nation because of us witches and wizards." Ben couldn't imagine anyone fearing a place like Athens. It seemed so simple and beautiful, as if the serenity of the atmosphere seeped into everyone's spirits. Not a single person seemed to be upset.

Beth and Charlie materialized behind them. "Well, I'm sure you two want to get your wands. Jean, do you mind taking them to Jonker's? I ought to take Charles to the Owlery I promised I'd get him one as an early birthday present."

"Of course," Mrs. Reilly responded. "Let's go guys."

After walking a few blocks, they approached a shop that looked the size of a supermarket. However, besides the few people in line ahead of them, the shop looked abandoned. The dim-lit walls were lined with countless boxes, all of which seemed downright impossible to organize.

"How does someone find anything in a place like this?"

"Oh don't worry," his mother assured him. "You won't have to find anything, that's what Josef is for."

"Who?" Kelsey asked.

"You'll see."

A few moments passed and finally they are called forward. They reach a desk that was run by a man that had a quite serious face and had strands of hair hanging down the sides of his otherwise bald head.

"Mm. More McKenna's. How many has it been now … 11? 12?" =

"Hi again Josef" Mrs. Reilly pointed the two of them out. "With these two included there'd be 13 of 'em."

"There's more? You all just keep coming, dont ya?" He gave a toothy smile. "You first." He focused on Kelsey. "I'm Josef Jonker but you can just call me Jonker. Now lemme look at'cha." He abruptly turned and made his way back and returned with a black box. "Try this. Holly with Jackalope horn." She flicked her wrist and a stool went flying across the room. "Nope. Here give it back lemme get somethin' else."

Kelsey tried about 3 different wands before they finally figured out what she was suited for. "Ah Ash wood." He explained as blue sparks shot from the end of her wand. "Ash wood and Rougarou hair, 12 and a half inches. Ash wood is s'posed to be best for real hard-headed witches."

"Sounds about right." Ben mumbled to nobody in particular.

"I love it!" Kelsey giggles and began to wave it around.

"Kelsey" Ben's mom shot a look at her. "Enough of that, now. I'm not trying to have anyone lose an eyeball anytime soon. Ben, go ahead."

He took a step forward as Jonker took a look at him. "Hmm... 'Right here ya go. That's Rowan wood right there. Real nice wand, that is."

Ben flicked it and BOOM. Broken lamp.

"Alright, that ain't gonna work. How 'bout this one. This is Acacia. It's a little bit temperamental but we'll see."

BOOM. Broken table. He tried over and over again but nothing seemed to work.

"Cedar?" BOOM. "Hawthorne?" BOOM. "Laurel?" BOOM. "Poplar? BOOM. "Gotta be Elm right?" BOOM.

"Alright, boy. We're going on 8 different woods now and nowhere close to figuring it out." Jonker started mumbling to himself. "Okay so… it can't be a fir otherwise… no that would've worked… haven't tried oaks yet but…" Jonker turned and hobbled, almost excitedly if Ben knew any better, to the back end of the store and retrieved a very old and dusty box. "Try that real quick."

Ben ran his fingers along the dusty old wand and felt a shock hit his spine. Not a painful shock but the kind a person feels right before hearing a beautiful voice that gives them goosebumbs. Multicolored sparks shot from the wand and he looked up at the dumbfounded Josef Jonker.

"Well I'll be. First time I've seen that wand work before."

"What is it," Ben asked.

"What'cha got there is a southern live oak wand. They're a very picky and temperamental type of wood at the best of times. _T_ _hat_ one, however, is pretty special though. It was cut from the old legendary Angel Oak in South Carolina. A few were made just to see what would happen but, at least as far as I've know, nobody has ever been chosen one so they stopped cutting the damn tree." Jonker explained.

Ben stared at the wand. "Wait, so I'm the only one that has it?"

"From the Angel Oak tree, yes. There are some that have southern live oak wands and they're powerful but picky. Not unlike an Ash wand," he gestured to Kelsey.

Ben examined the wand. "What about the core?"

"Wampus hair, boy. Best core in America, in my opinion. Second to a Thunderbird feather, maybe."

Both Kelsey and Ben continued to gawk at the wand as Mrs. Reilly handed Jonker a small bag of Dragots and bid him good day.

It wasn't until after the rest of the school shopping was done that the family had regrouped and made their way back to the McKenna's home outside of Pittsburgh.

"I think I'm gonna let Phoebe name him." Charlie stroked his new pet owl. "I'm not too good with names and I think she'd like that since she was so upset about not being able to come."

"Well don't be surprised if its name is 'Tulip' or something. I'm gonna laugh when it ends up being something stupid."

"I'm sure it will be and I'm looking forward to it." Charlie laughed.

Ben smiled and pulled out his new wand. Why such a strange wand would choose him is unknown but one thing was certain: He was thrilled about it.

* * *

 _A/N: I think it's probably a good time to mention that a fair amount of places and people introduced are based off of real people and places that I'm familiar with. So far I think it makes it easier to write about when I have a clear image in my head of what the person or place is really like. I'm absolutely open to ideas and suggestions so feel free to message me with whatever you want!_


	3. Smoke and Mirrors

**Chapter 3**

 **Smoke and Mirrors**

"I'm excited! No, really! But c'mon!"

Ben was not, by any definition, a morning person. Even on special days, such as the day when he takes the train to Ilvermorny and starts his first year of school, he prefers to have at least 10 hours of sleep.

"Get. Off. Of. Me." He struggled to get the words out. Kelsey had attacked him at 6 AM and now was putting all of her weight on Ben's back. "Why must you be the way you are?" He groaned.

"WE GOIN' TO ILVERMORNY GET UP!"

"I would if I were able to move or breathe," he croaked.

After being dragged onto the floor, dragged down the stairs, dragged to breakfast, then dragged to the car, Ben felt himself finally feeling like he was somewhat alive. It wasn't until they pulled up at a very old and large train station that he realized just how excited he was to be finally going to Ilvermorny.

"Union Station. Still can't get over that No-Maj's were able to build places like this over 100 years ago and still keep it running. I know a certain someone that can't even get around to fixing a television that was installed only two months ago" Mrs. Reilly teased.

"Hey now," Ben's father started. "That only just broke and I haven't had time to fix it. You know as well as me that repairmen in Florida are terrible. Last time they broke my-"

"I WANNA GO I WANNA GO" Phoebe screeched. Her 9 year old sister Maggie put on her headphones and tried to ignore her frantic little sister.

"You will soon," Uncle Joe reassured her "but first you've got to let the big kids have their turn since they waited longer than you."

"But I wanna go now! Why can't I come? I can do magic!"

"The last thing we need you to be doing right now is magic." Mrs. McKenna shuddered at the thought. "Alright you all. To the dome."

The group headed towards what most of the wizards referred to as "The Dome," which was a huge, circular atrium that was built over a hundred years before. "Let's go, come on now. All of you with me, right here" she stood in the center circle with Charlie and Kelsey. "Ok, on the count of three. One… Two… Three!"

They all jumped at the same time and went completely through the circle on the way down. Ben was falling a solid 30 feet before his fall slowed and he dropped softly onto his feet. He had been to the wizarding platform of Union Station before but now that this trip was meant for him, the bustling gate felt more intimidating than usual. Everywhere he looked he was surrounded by hordes of frantic families, each trying to get their children to their correct section of the train and say their goodbyes.

Ben is met by his sisters and his parents falling through the ceiling, followed by Mr. McKenna and the little ones. "All the third years are boarding, Ma" Marie started pointing at the mass of 13 year-olds piling into their compartments.

Jenny pointed to the back of the train. "Looks like most 5th years already boarded."

"Yeah, we might as well split up now. It looks like the train's going to be leaving real soon." Ben's dad admitted.

After hugging his father and prying his teary-eyed mother off of him, Ben and Kelsey entered the front of train. The interior looked as ancient as the train itself.

"The train doors just shut. We must've been with the last few stragglers to get on the train." Kelsey stops Ben. "How about right here?" She asked pointing to a compartment with one girl that was struggling to get her bags on the luggage racks above her.

Ben opens the door. "Hey!" The girl gasps and drops the bag. "Can I help you with that?" She nods and he manages lift the surprisingly heavy bag onto the racks.

Ben shines a crooked smile at the girl. She was tan and very small with dark wavy hair and caramel brown eyes. Her expression made Ben feel as if she was wary of them, yet her attitude said otherwise.

"Hi, um, yeah, if you both want to sit in here you can. My name is Jessica, by the way." She smiled nervously.

"Thanks! I'm Kelsey and this is Ben," she patted his shoulder. "We're cousins. He's got two sisters here and I've got my brother in second year."

"Must be nice," Jessica shuffled her feet. "My brother graduated this past year."

"Eh, not really. He's kind of a dingus. What house was your brother in?"

"He was in Horned Serpent like my mom and dad." Jessica started. "It only makes sense. He's a complete genius. He's working to be an alchemist and got O's on most of his NEWTS, I think."

Ben nodded. He remembered Charlie telling him the Horned Serpent house focused on scholars. "What about you? Do you want to be Horned Serpent too?"

She looked thoughtfully at Ben. "I… I don't really know. I don't think I could ever be as smart as him so I'll probably be put somewhere else."

"Don't say that!" Kelsey smiled. "We haven't even officially started school yet for all we know you could be a natural at this kind of stuff."

"Yeah, I guess. I don't really know much about the other houses or how we even get sorted for that matter."

"Charlie said there was some sort of fight to decide but I think he's full of it. They'll probably just have us fill out some dumb survey or something." Kelsey rambled on and on of how she wasn't interested in the other houses and wanted to be placed in Wampus. "Our McKenna side of the family were mostly Wampus members and a bunch of Thunderbirds as well. My mom was Horned Serpent as well as yours but I'd hate to be in that house. So _boring._ No offense, of course."

"No, it's fine. I honestly don't know if I even want to be in Horned Serpent either. I feel like I wouldn't really belong there I just have no clue where I do fit in." She turned her attention to Ben. "Where would you want to be placed?"

"Couldn't tell you," Ben sighed. "Haven't thought about it too much."

This was a lie. Truth was, Ben thought about it a lot and it was terrifying. The sorting system is based on the way one thinks and acts and is separated into 4 houses: Horned Serpent symbolizes the mind and favors scholars, Pukwudgie represents the heart and favors healers, Wampus represents the body and favors warriors, and Thunderbird represents the soul and favors adventurers. However, Ben was none of these things- at least not enough to be defined as a "warrior" or "adventurer." What was scary to him was that even _he_ doesn't know how his brain works and has no clue how in the world this school could figure that out. What if he didn't fit in any of the houses? He'd surely be on the first train back to Union Station…

Kelsey was quick to respond. "I'm sure you'll be in Wampus, like Brooke. You're pissy like her." She smiled devilishly.

"Thanks Kels. Really appreciate it. Definitely worth telling her that too." He looks at Jessica who is visibly trying not to laugh.

"I mean you never know, that could be the reason you get put in there," Kelsey winked.

Ben glanced out the window. He knew what to expect to see- after all he had been spending the past few weeks in the mountains of Pennsylvania with his family. Even so, he couldn't help but gawk at the view. Endless rolling hills with the first signs of autumn already starting to show. The intermittent flashes of red, yellow, and orange in a sea of massive green peaks would never get old to him. Seeing the change in seasons was exciting for Ben, as he had never seen the fall colors before. He had spent his whole life growing up in Florida and had grown tired of seeing nothing but flatlands and palm trees.

The landscape, to Ben's delight, generally didn't change much for the whole ride. The sun was beginning to set over the mountains and the light was shining between the hills. He was discussing Quodpot with Jessica and Kelsey when he felt the train start to slow. "Could we be there yet? I don't see anything but trees and hills out here."

"I feel like we wouldn't be able to see it from wherever we are right now" The others looked at Jessica. "I mean, don't they put a ton of enchantments on the castle? It's probably on that mountain in front of us. Dad was saying it's on the biggest mountain in Massachusetts."

Kelsey nodded. "Yup. Mount Greylock. This right here has to be our stop," she pointed at a platform that was approaching fast on the right side.

Sure enough, the trained slowed to a stop outside of a very old train station. The first years nearly piled on top of each in the attempt to get off the train. It seemed everyone was as anxious as Ben and Jessica were.

Kelsey, on the other hand, didn't seem worried about any of it. She kept the same blank grin on her face that she wore at Union Station. Ben couldn't help but envy her; for someone with such an attitude, she never seemed to worry about anything. His attention shifted to the sound of yelling. A short man with dark skin and a wide brimmed hat was bellowing instructions.

"First years! First years! That's it y'all, first years over here! I'm Billings but you kids call me Coach Billings, got me?"

"Are you the Quodpot coach?" A girl with platinum blonde hair quipped.

"No, dumbdumb! I'm _your_ coach! My assignment is to be your caretaker which means I'm gonna be watching over you kids and make sure none of y'all are doing somethin' stupid!" He gestured over to the trail next to him. "Follow me and we'll take you up the mountain. Stay together!"

They sauntered along a deep forest trail as night fell and they reached a grassy clearing below the mountain. Even as close as they were to the mountain they still couldn't see any sign of a castle.

"Alright everyone stay right here I got this." Billings took out his wand and flicked his wrist…

"Uh… is something supposed to happen?" Kelsey whispered in Ben's ear.

"Damn it," Billings muttered under his breath. "...always forgetting where it is…"

Billings started to walk around cautiously with his arms stretched out in front of him, grabbing away as if he believed he'd eventually find something. "I got this y'all! Stay right there!"

The students started murmuring. "Is he alright? Did I get on the right train?" A boy with spiky black hair asked.

"Ah! Gotcha!" Billings kept his arm forward and pulled on something. Suddenly, the air appeared to ripple for a split second and then Ben realized what he was doing. A mirror-like door opened to reveal an interior with two rows of chairs and tinted windows.

"Is that a cable car?" Kelsey asked.

"I think so," Jessica responded. "It's kind of hard to tell when you can only see the inside of it."

"Listen up, youngins. You're going to line up in the order that I call you." Billings pulled out a list. "All of you are gonna stay in alphabetical order by last name. Any of you break that order and we're gonna have a problem. Headmaster Wheeler will explain as soon as you get there what you will be doing when you're all sorted. Alright first we got a... Austin Andrews?"

A blonde boy with a serious face stepped forward. Then, 6 at a time Billings loaded the student onto the cable cars. Ben secretly wished that Billings could've made the cars visible so he wouldn't spend extra time stumbling around trying to find the next car that would come by. The anxiety to get into the castle was killing him.

"Alright, in this car we got Shivani Pillai, Erica Polk, Jack Powell, Shane Ramsey, Ben Reilly, and Jessica Renner."

Ben turned to Jessica. "I didn't know your last name was Renner? Awesome!"

Jessica smiled brightly at Ben. He was glad at least he'd be able to talk to someone leading up to the sorting. The whole situation had him on edge and he could tell it was bothering her too.

They stepped into the cable car and he could feel the car lurch forward. The first few minutes were spent in uncomfortably silence. Finally, a boy Billings said was named Jack Powell broke the spell. "This is a sick whip," he grinned. "I wanna learn whatever spell turns stuff invisible like this. I'd be so loaded."

Ben laughed. "What would you possibly do? Turn invisible and pickpocket someone? It's not like you could break into Raubash and Batts with just an invisible charm."

"Who said anything about stealing?" He giggled. "I'm just saying I'm sure there's a market out there for enchanted objects and invisibility is a cash cow. Besides, nobody can break into a wizard bank anyway."

"Nope, you're wrong," the small Indian girl Ben assumed was Shivani Pillai interjected. "Harry Potter broke into Gringotts bank and escaped too!"

"I thought he was the one that beat You-Know-Who?" Jessica asked, her brow furrowed.

"Yeah, he did both." A lanky girl with short blonde hair cut in. "He had a dragon help him, though. You don't happen to have one of those do you?"

"If I sell enough invisible stuff, I could buy one. Name him Jimmy, maybe even Jimbo." Jack smiled as the blonde, Erica Polk, rolled her eyes.

Ben could tell Jack Powell was a weird kid. He had thick black hair and pale green eyes that were nearly gray. He had a square jaw and a wicked grin that almost immediately would get him labeled as a troublemaker. Sure, he was a bit goofy but normal has always been boring to Ben and Jack definitely didn't seem boring to him. He laughed and continued to listen to Jack's future invisibility business ventures and Jimbo the dragon until Jessica gasped. "Oh my god, look at that."

As the car travelled higher and higher up the mountain, whatever it was became visible. They were approaching some sort of force field that rippled in the sunlight through the tinted windows. Not knowing what to expect, Ben shut his eyes and braced himself for impact

" _Whoa."_

Ben's eyes shot open and he gasped.

* * *

 _A/N: I want to put in a lot of background and perspective into the school itself and the location so I plan on writing more about the layout of the school. Ilvermorny is its own world and I'm trying my best not to just make a mirror of Hogwarts so let me know what you guys think. Also, I hope you guys will end up liking Billings as much as I do because the man that inspired the character is a great guy and I wanna do him justice._


	4. The Roar of the Beast

_A/N: I kinda flew through this one because I don't know but I'm still thinking about possibly making some edits to it, we'll see. I've put thought into how the school is laid out and what I picture it to look like in general and hopefully you'll see that in upcoming chapters. Again, if you like it leave a favorite and a review and I'll love you forever. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 **The Roar of the Beast**

The vision Ben saw before him was breathtaking. The wooded mountaintop he saw now adorned a collection of silver towers that seemed to interconnect all throughout the mountain's peak, as if they were an extension of the night sky. Further down the face of the mountain he could see the faint glimmer of the Quodpot pitch with lights dotting a trail that led up the mountain towards the rest of the school. As they drew closer to the immense collection of shimmering lights, the car seemed to be moving directly toward a towering gate that sat in front of a stadium-like building and a tall, rectangular hall with two twin spires perched on top of it.

The students sat in awe, dumbfounded and at a loss for words. "Oh wow… wow…" Jessica continued to whisper.

Jack, unsurprisingly, broke the silence again. "I'm not positive here and don't take my word for it, but I feel like that might be Ilvermorny up ahead."

"Yeah?" Ben feigned a look of confusion. "How d'you figure?"

Jack began to laugh. "Lucky guess? I could be wrong you never know," he pointed. "That could easily just be the kingdom of some really weird No-Maj cult living out in the middle of nowhere. It sounds about as far-fetched as a wizarding school if you really stop to think about it."

"Well, I doubt it's anything involving a cult." Shivani remarked.

Jack turned to her. "Yeah? Why's that?"

"Because the gate says Ilvermorny right there…?"

"Oh. Sweet!"

The car slowed to a stop and the doors flew open. The group stayed in Alphabetical order in front of the gate and moments later Billings emerged from behind.

"AY LISTEN UP," he bellowed, scaring the wits out of most of the first years that were unaware of his arrival. "Follow me into the gate and take a right. That's it y'all, keep moving. You kids are a lot smarter than last year's class. Took 'bout a half hour just to get them to walk in line from the gate to the ceremony hall."

"Ceremony hall?" Asked a large brunette girl.

"Yeah, that's where we headed, right there." Billings pointed towards the stadium-like building. "You guys will get sorted in front of the rest of the school in there."

Ben's heart sank. _The whole school? In that place?_ He gawked at the massive hall. _Oh god what if we really do have to fight in there?_ For as big of a kid as Ben was for his age, he was used to getting beaten in wrestling matches. He grew up with the McKenna family as one of the younger relatives and so, naturally, his older cousins and even his sisters would like to mess with him and push his buttons.

But this was different. That was fist fighting. This was magic. _I am not ready for this._

They reached the entrance to the ceremony hall and Ben turned to face Jessica. She must've notice his apprehension because she looked absolutely terrified. He figured he should say something but he wasn't sure what.

"Hey, it's alright. It's a school after all, not a gladiator arena." She looked pale and he felt that only made it worse. "Look, what's the worst that could happen? It's not like it makes much difference what house you're placed in. At the end of the day, the only real difference it makes is which hall you'll be sleeping in."

She gave a weak smile. "I know. The whole sorting ceremony is freaky to me. I just want to get this over with so I can eat something. Preferably while I don't feel like puking my guts out from nervousness,"

Ben snickered. The thought of a cooked meal after the ceremony momentarily comforted him. "I haven't anything all day I am so ready for this. Is it like a buffet or is-"

"Ladies and gentleman!" Ben turned around and looked at portly man with bright blue dress robes. "First, I want to tell all of you congratulations! Welcome to Ilvermorny Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

Ben was caught off guard by the man. He was enthusiastic and loud to a point where it almost forces everyone else to be the same way. Ben wasn't sure he had ever met somebody this aggressively friendly.

"I am your Headmaster, Professor Scott Charles Wheeler, and I am so glad that you all have given us teachers the opportunity to prepare you guys for the wizarding world and provide you with the experience that is Ilvermorny. Who's excited?" He pointed across the line of students and laughed heartily. All of the first years begun to cheer and Ben couldn't help joining in as well. Sure, it was corny but Professor Wheeler acted so excited that he'd feel guilty not reciprocating the enthusiasm.

"Woo! Alright, time to get down to business. As soon as we walk in those doors you will await for our Deputy Headmistress, Professor Mays," he pointed at a petite black woman with a wide smile, "to call your name. You will then step into the center platform on top of the school crest and you will be sorted by our four totems. Wampus, Thunderbird, Horned Serpent, or Pukwudgie. Once chosen, you will be escorted to the student section of your house and wait for everyone to be sorted. After all that is done, your house members will escort you to the dining hall where you will enjoy our first meal of the year which, I'm telling ya, is something I'd be real excited about if I were you. Now, let's begin your journey!"

The line of students applauded him and entered the Ceremony Hall. Ben entered the hall and peered into the long foyer that was decorated with portraits of past great American wizards that wished the students good luck. The line stopped and he, like all the other students in the line, were craning their heads above each other in the effort to get a better view of what was beyond the hallway. Their hopes were dashed, however, by a black curtain that was draped across the threshold into the arena.

"Welcome back students!" He could hear Professor Mays announce to the upperclassmen beyond the veil. "I'd like to have the honor of saying that we are elated to have you back and we wish you luck in the year ahead of you. As you all know, the sorting ceremony is about to be underway and we ask that you all remain silent when the first years are in the process of being chosen. Let's not make them any more nervous than I'm sure they already are."

"Like that will make a difference" Ben grumbled to himself.

"Once a student is picked, however, you all can go as crazy as your hearts desire." She laughed along with the upperclassmen. "Without further ado, let's begin. Andrews, Austin. Come on out!"

Ben watched as the serious blonde boy walked past the curtain and then… Silence.

Suddenly, an eruption of cheers came from a specific part of the arena and Ben could hear Professor Mays cheer. "Wampus! Congratulations! Next up we have Ballard, Christina."

A short blonde made her way past. Ben glanced over at Billings and caught him smirking. The whole air of secrecy and the lack of an explanation to the students must have been intentional because Billings seemed to be enjoying the sight of all the students freaking out.

A moment passed. Then, Ben hears Professor Mays call to Christina Ballard. "You get to choose, honey. Will you be a Serpent or a Wampus?"

Ben cocked his head back in confusion. _Choosing? I thought we were chosen?_ He scanned the rest of the students and could tell they were confused as well.

Another roar from the stands. "Horned Serpent it is! Excellent choice! Next we have Barone, Matthew!"

Ben watched as the line begun to shrink at a steady pace. Occasionally, there would be stifled cheering for certain houses when the student was apparently given the option to choose a house. "Earley, Jonas?" A thin boy with very long dark hair stepped forward. "Thunderbird!" Professor Mays exclaimed. The line continued to thin and after a Kerstin Liu was placed in Pukwudgie and a Colin Mack was placed in Horned Serpent, Ben listened intently for the next student. "McKenna, Kelsey?" His cousin strolled past the curtain and barely any time passed before the hall was filled with the sounds of screeching upperclassmen. "Wampus! Congrats Kelsey!"

Ben grinned. _Shocker._ He swore the crowd seemed to be a little extra raucous for Kelsey and he thought he faintly heard the distinct screams of his sisters over the crowd.

Minutes passed and more students had their fates determined. Eventually, Ben's cable car group was in the front. Shivani Pillai was deemed a Thunderbird while Erica Polk, the lanky blonde, was called into Horned Serpent. Jack Powell skipped past the curtain and was deemed a Wampus after some time. Then Shane Ramsey, a tall kid with dark bags under his eyes, was placed in Thunderbird and Ben braced himself.

"Reilly, Benjamin?"

 _Shit shit shit shit_ Ben repeated to himself in his mind. He stepped past the curtain and walked into the arena. The stands were split into four student sections around him and above that were the teachers looming over them. In front of each stand were four intricate stone statues of each house mascot, all placed in front of their corresponding house stands. The Wampus was perched on top of a boulder in a proud stance, the Pukwudgie seemed to stare at Ben while it held a bow it carried by its side, the Thunderbird was perched on a pedestal with its wings folded, and the Horned Serpent was coiled around with its head perked up, displaying a clear jewel in the center of its head. He forced himself to stand tall in the center and look as confident as he can.

Dead silence. Then, the Wampus statue let out a mighty roar and he braced himself for the cheers, but instead the room broke out into whispers. He turned around, confused, and noticed the Thunderbird was flapping its wings in his direction. He faced the other statues to see the Pukwudgie had his arrow notched and aimed upwards and the Horned Serpent's jewel was now glowing a vibrant purple. He now gazed at Professor Mays, desperately hoping for any sort of clarification or instruction.

"Oh, ahem," she cleared her throat. "Well, this is certainly interesting. Have your pick Mr. Reilly!" She nodded at Ben.

He had always told Kelsey and Charlie he wished he could just pick a house himself and be done with it. Yet now the opportunity has come and he just stood there in shock. Should he be in Thunderbird with Marie? Or join Jenny and his cousins in Wampus? Or go his own way and join Pukwudgie or even Horned Serpent? It boggled his mind and the whispers grew louder. He had to make his decision.

He mustered up the last of his courage and stepped towards Wampus to a deafening cheer from the student section. The statue had reared up on its hind legs and roared once again but Ben could hardly hear it over the sheer noise of the students. He could see his sister and cousins frantically jumping around and he felt a sense of relief. He could even see Jack Powell in the stands dancing around and waving his arms around like a lunatic. As he made his way up to the stands he could see Marie in the Thunderbird stands playfully sticking her tongue out at her little brother. Other Wampus classmates patted his back and shook him in excitement as he found his seat was saved by his ecstatic family members.

"That was awesome!" Charlie yelled. "How did all four pick you?"

"I'm sure it happens occasionally, right?"

"No, it doesn't," his sister remarked. "The last time that happened was the President Seraphina Picquery, and that was like 100 years ago!"

His brow furrowed. "Wait, what? How can I belong in all four houses? Earlier I thought maybe I didn't really make a good fit for any of them."

"Maybe that's why they all picked you," Kelsey laughed. "Must've been a pity vote."

He gave her a crooked smile. "Shut up, you just wish they all picked you too."

"Nah, I got my house so I'm happy. Wait, look," She pointed at the center. "Jessica is going next."

Jessica Renner shuffled forward and stood in the center, waiting for whatever it was she was supposed to do next. Ben was expecting the jewel on the Serpent's head to glow which, to his surprise, did not. Instead, the Thunderbird flapped its wings at her while the Pukwudgie shifted its aim to the sky.

"Ah, another student with a choice!" Professor Mays gestured to the student sections. "Would you like to be sorted into Thunderbird or Pukwudgie?"

Jessica had stood there, her face filled with discomfort. Ben could tell she just wanted to be off of that center crest, and fast. She looked back and forth between the two totems for a painfully long time. Finally, she took a step towards the overjoyed Pukwudgie section. As she made her way up the stands, she caught Ben's eye and gave him a sad smile. He was a little bummed that she wasn't going to join him in Wampus, but in a sign of good faith he gave her a wide grin and a thumbs up.

The ceremony continued and there were three more Wampus members, three more Thunderbirds, and one other Pukwudgie. After the commotion in the student sections had died down, Headmaster Wheeler addressed the students.

"What an incredible turnout! Good to see you champs all found the best fitting house!" He glanced towards Ben. "And I'm sure that you will find lasting friendships within your houses. After all, they will be your new families during the school years. So get comfortable!" He applauded his students. "Now I ask that you all accompany me to the dining hall! Let's roll!"

Ben, Charlie, Kelsey, and Jenny exited the ceremony hall along with the rest of his new Housemates. They walked along a cobblestone path illuminated by small balls of light that were lined along the sides of the paths. His sister pointed at the building with the twin spires next to the Ceremony Hall. "That's the library. You probably won't have to spend a ton of time there this year since most of the information first years need is in your textbooks. But still, you should make an effort to check it out at some point soon. It'd make Ma happy."

"Yeah, totally," Ben lied. He had no intention of spending his free time in a library when he didn't need to.

They took a right on the path and came to the entrance of a set of castles, a very wide silver building that Ben assumed was the dining hall and a tower next to it that touched the clouds.

Charlie seemed to notice Ben's interest in pointed towards to tower. "That's one of the academic wings. Every few floors is dedicated to a certain subject. That building is where the Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Divination classes are taught. The top floor," he pointed to the clouds, "is where Professor Wheeler's office is. Not like he's ever in there, anyway."

"Why not?" Kelsey asked.

"I mean look at him. Does he look like the kind of guy to sit in his office?" Charlie scoffed. "He's usually on the grounds high fiving everyone and calling them 'killas'."

Ben laughed. He liked having Professor Wheeler as a Headmaster, even if he was over the top.

Ben and Kelsey were blown away by the dining hall. The tables were arranged into a square perimeter, nearly enclosing a round table in the middle that was designated for the staff. Above the tables were floating chandeliers that were illuminated by flames of each house color: a vibrant red for Wampus, a shocking blue for Thunderbird, a pale green for Pukwudgie, and a light purple for Horned Serpent. The ceiling was decorated with an intricate mural of different historical figures that bustled about, reenacting famous moments in Wizarding history. The grandiose of it all was a little too much for Ben and they both agreed that it would take some time getting used to it.

However, what really caught Ben's eye was the food, or lack thereof. "This is a joke, right? If this isn't a joke I'll have to eat somebody here," he moaned. His eyes searched for the entrances and when the food might arrive to them. Then, in a blink of an eye, it was all there.

"I have never seen something so beautiful in my life." The sheer variety of the food was enough to make Ben pass out. Every type of meal he could think of was made available to him. Charlie was grabbing a rack of ribs, Jessica was serving herself pasta, and Jack was slapping slices of french toast onto his already stacked plate. Ben stopped at a number of different meals, mostly favoring the seafood that had blackened fish like his dad used to make, and went to town.

After stuffing himself to a point of no return, Ben decided to head back with Charlie and get situated in his dorm. "You'll like the rooms," Charlie assured him. "It's set up so that your dorm is two bedrooms with a common room we call a "mod" in the middle. Each bedroom has three students each."

"Do we pick our roommates?"

"Nah, not your first year. They pick them for you and I'm pretty sure it's random."

Ben hoped his roommates were alright. He was quite a messy person as a whole and he probably wouldn't hit it off too well with his roommates if they were neat-freaks. They headed down a wide path until they reached a massive hall at the end of the walkway. The castle had a low-roofed building that was in between two huge towers that matched with each other. The grand towers appeared weirdly unstable to Ben and he immediately realized why. The towers were built _off_ the edge of a cliff that dropped a solid 40 feet or so.

Ben nodded his head towards the edge of the cliff. "So are we at the edge of the campus or-"

"What? Nah, that's Broken Neck Bluff. That's what all the students call it, at least. It cuts through a good chunk of the campus and is kind of annoying, actually. Anytime you have to get up or down the cliff you need to go to Hall of Ascension."

"The huh?"

"Hall of Ascension." Charlie simply repeated. "Or if you were in Thunderbird or Pukwudgie you could cut through their halls, I suppose."

Ben's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm so confused."

"Of course you are, that's why I'm here. I'll explain it better tomorrow but right now let's get to the dorms and get some sleep. Here," he aimed his wand at the wooden doors. "We are the body."

The doors swung open and Ben stared with curiosity. "Oh, right." Nate stowed away his wand. "Our wands are registered to our own houses and dorms. It's kind of like a keycard but instead of swiping you point your wand and say 'we are the body' and you're in. Simple as that."

The common room had a red and silver decor with a low ceiling and four fireplaces. Couches and lounge chairs were sprawled across the room, along with a few tables. It had a very homey feel to it and Ben could tell that he'd be more likely to end up goofing off in the common room with his peers then it would be for him to be able to actually focus on his studies. "Hey, right here," Charlie called out to him. "This bulletin says you're the third floor in room 9."

He made his way into the boy's tower and followed the spiral staircase to the third floor. He travelled around the circular hallway until he found a boy outside of his door.

"What's up, bud," Ben approached the boy. He was short and chunky, with bushy blonde hair and a baby face. "You lost?"

"No, this is my room! It won't let me in even though I've done the password four times. Watch." The boy smacks his wand against the door. " _I am the body!_ " He screeched. The door remained firmly in place.

Ben couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, it's probably never gonna work if you keep saying the wrong password." He lifted his wand. "We are the body."

The door slid open. "Huh? Oh… I heard somebody use it when they let me in the common room but I must have forgotten it. So you live here too?"

Ben brushed his hair out of his face. "Yeah, I do. My names Ben Reilly."

"I'm Eddy Hale. Wait…" The boy's eyes widened. "Wait, are you the one that got picked by all four totems? I saw you pick Wampus! Why'd you pick us?"

Ben shrugged. "Oh, most of my family was and is currently in Wampus so it only made sense."

"I get you. Let's see who our roommate is."

The two of them entered their room to find the third roommate hastily tossing his robes out of his trunk next to his bed.

"Hey! Roomie!" Eddy called out.

The boy turned around and gave a wicked grin.

"Jack!"

"Hiya Ben!" Jack Powell waved. "I looked at the bulletin and saw you were my roommate. I'm guessing you're Eddy?"

"Yeah, that's me," Eddy opened his drawers. "Look at this they take your bags up and they give you these pins that look like the crest we had to stand on during the sorting."

Ben turned the pin over in his hand. It was red and he remembered Marie telling him that the pins were all in the color of the house that a student was in. "Yeah, I've heard about these. Gordian Knots, I think."

He continue to twirl the pin around in his fingers. He was so tired he hadn't noticed the others were talking about the feast and tucked himself into bed.

Jack tossed a pillow at Ben. "Going to bed already? You haven't unpacked yet."

"I know but I couldn't even if I tried. I don't have the energy"

Jack shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Ben put out the lamp by his bed and fell asleep immediately and comfortably with the knowledge that he had chosen the right home.


End file.
